Portal 2069 (AU)
by Variousnumber
Summary: After GlaDOS was first installed within the Aperture Laboratories, things took an even darker turn. Assailed by monstrous human-machine hybrids, will our Hero's be able to bring down the Mad A.I? (Written by me and another user named Spudbob, from the Feralfront forums.)
1. Captain Crush

Ch. 1: Captain Crush's Slumber

Captain Craul hated GLaDOS from the start. It was unnatural, uploading a human into a system. He abhorred it, even spoke to Mr. Johnson about it multiple times with his doubts. But Mr. Johnson never listened to his chief security advisor. Nobody did, it seemed.

Corbin Craul was a simple man. Born in 1947, to a WWII veteran and his wife, Corbin inherited his father's genetics, those of a football star. His father started him young, playing ball with him soon after he was able to hold things. His father, though, was an alcoholic, and a violent wife-beater. In a few short years, Corbin learned to hate his father, and distanced himself from his family.

In 1963, when he entered high school, Corbin tried out for the football team. And earned a spot on the school's starting line as a freshman. While some of his fellow players bullied him, many of them vehemently protected him from all other forms of punishment. They became his new family, his brothers on the line. They gave him a nickname, 'Crush', due to his ability to crush defensive ends like tin cans underfoot. But as the Vietnam War raged on half a world away, Crush's father berated him for not fighting for his country. Just to prove the old man wrong, Crush enlisted before his senior year of high school and went to Vietnam.

Crush served 6 years with the Marine Corps, the baddest branch there was. While in Basic, he learned how to fight and wrestle, something that had come to him easily. It was, after all, just like pushing against a defensive linebacker, only with a few extra steps thrown in. He was a Lance Corporal by the time he left, a few years before the war ended. He was just 24. Finding himself in the civillian world, he went looking for jobs that dealt with security, something he had done day after day for 6 whole years. He found and accepted a position within an upstart science company in Michigan; Aperture Science.

It wasn't the nicest place, but the pay was good, and he got free lodging inside their facility. He knew what he was doing, more so than the other 'hires' he met. Within a few short years, the Marine had been named 'Chief of Security' by Mr. Johnson, although the nickname 'Captain' stuck among the other guards. He disliked the name, feeling he hadn't earned Captain, but he slowly accepted it when they refused to stop.

Life was fine, here in the bowels of Aperture Science Enrichment Center. Shifts were rotated, people followed orders. Homeless bums were brought in off the street and tested. Captain Crush couldn't say he liked that last part, feeling it a violation of human rights, but the last time the near-30-year-old had brought it up to his supervisor, Mr. Johnson had just asked if he would like to be one of those homeless bums being tested. Crush didn't dare confront the issue again. It was only when GLaDOS was suggested that he found the strength to stand up to his boss again.

"Sir, you can't possibly-" The Captain's gruff voice asked of Cave Johnson, onwer and operator of Aperture Science Inc.

"I can, and I will," The boss's voice retorted, cutting off whatever sentence Captain Craul had begun. "I told you, Captain, do not question me. I only want what's best for humanity, and if that means uploading myself into a computer, then by golly I'll do it!" The sounds of fists on wood were heard.

"Mr. Johnson, it's a machine! You can't be plugged into a machine, it would kill you!" The Captain yelled, as more fists could be heard thumping the desk. "As your Chief of Security, I-"

"You are paid by Mr. Johnson," a much softer voice rang. Calming, yet condoning at the same time. Caroline, Cave's assistant, had stepped in between the men.

The raised voices subsided, but Captain Craul still had one more thing to say. "Then I quit. If you won't listen to me, Cave, I'm going to quit. I'm going to stop this machine, because it's wrong! It's unethical! This whole company is unethical!"

The door slammed, and Captain Crush left the office. He was walking down the corridor, still in a mood, when two of the guards he had previously been the leader of grabbed him and pulled him down the other way. "What are... Simmons! Wolpaw! I demand that you let me go right now!"

The guards shook their heads somberly. "We liked you, captain," Simmons, who was on his left arm, said, "but you're not the cap'n anymore."

Wolpaw, holding his right hand, spoke next. "Mr. Johnson said that the first guard to bring you to one of the relaxation vaults gets your spot. That'd be mighty nice."

Captain Crush's eyes widened. He was being sent to the relaxation chambers. He was going to be tested upon. Face certain death. He began wiggling, trying to escape the guard's holds, but only earned a slap on the cheek for his efforts. A rather hard slap that was more of a punch. Whatever it was, it worked.

Crush lay still, waiting, until they reached the chambers. Then he made his move, a quick twist and a standing shoulder check brought Wolpaw down, but Simmons gave him another 'slap', sending Crush to the floor, eyes not quite working like they're supposed to. He was lifted into a cryo chamber, the lid slowly closed shut over top him. He barely had the strength to punch the glass, and soon the world went dark.

"Ugh..." Crush moaned, putting a hand to his head. Another hand was put behind his back as he leaned forward. Or, would have, had there not been glass in the way. His head bounced back onto the pillow with another groan of pain. This time, the glass was lifted before Crush leaned forward. He was in a relaxation vault. Why?

Crush twisted his body around, sitting up as his memories came rushing back to him in a blur. Mr. Johnson, GLaDOS, Simmons and Wolpaw, their betrayal. "Yarghle," he moaned, moving his jaw. It still had pain, interestingly, but it seemed to have healed. He finally looked at the walls, his eyes widening to see in the pale light. "What the... just how long have I been out?"

"Hmmm, 'bout a couple hundred years, boss," a familiar voice informed him. Crush looked to his left, seeing the two faces that threw him in there, much older than he now. Crush guessed they were well into their 50's. Simmons and Wolpaw.

Wolpaw smiled, tossing a gun at the former chief of security. "Or should we call you 'Captain'?" He asked with a chuckle.

Crush wasn't as amused. The gun was simple, like him. A Beretta 92, 9mm. He recognized it from his own personal stash. "What? A few hundred years pass, and all of a sudden you two are 'buddy-buddy' with me?" He asked skeptically, standing and checking the gun for ammo. Full. "You have 10 seconds to give me one good reason why I shouldn't just shoot you two. Go."

The two security guards defensively reacted, putting their hands in the air. Simmons spoke up, "'Cause, boss, we just woke you up. If we weren't here, you'd still be asleep. Or worse, one of them."

And before Crush could ask who 'them' was, Simmons and Wolpaw turned around, brandishing their own firearms, and filled the hall behind them with lead. They stepped aside, to let Crush see what they were shooting at.

A Cyborg. Human, obviously, but it was barely recognizable now, what with the wires and machinery sticking out of it. It was sickening, and even the stoic captain nearly hurled when he saw it. "What the..."

"They were test subjects," Wolpaw explained, popping a few more rounds into the head. Crush unexpectedly followed the two, down the hallway and into the back rooms. "GLaDOS turned them into these... abominations."

"How did you two survive, then? It's been a few centuries, right?" Crush asked, holding his pistol close. It felt familiar, powerful. A damn good thing to feel right now, in a strange place and time. The walls, previously white, where either stained red from the blood or a worn shade of cream. The laboratories had such a different mood form what he remembered.

Simmons turned back to Crush, continuing to explain. "When Caroline was... downloaded into GLaDOS, she released the neurotoxin we kept for the unstable subjects. Wolpaw and I were lucky enough to make it to a Relaxation Vault, and we slept, like you, boss."

His partner nodded, looking forward for threats but still speaking. "GLaDOS tried to make us into these things, and we escaped, found the guns, started looking for someone else who hadn't been turned. Lo and behold, who do we find?" He said the last part with a grin. "Although there's probably more humans out there, in the relaxation chambers. I don't think she got everyone, 'specially since that Wheatley Core oversaw them. That moron couldn't find a needle in a needlestack."

Captain Crush wondered just how stupid someone had to be to do that, but a few cyborgs appeared in their way, distracting his mind from that train of thought. After clearing the hallway and returning to the Security Locker Room for more weapons and ammo, Crush finally asked the question on his mind. "What about Mr. Johnson? What happened to him?"

Simmons shook his head, after a long, shared look with Wolpaw. "He died, boss. Long before GLaDOS was activated with his assistant's mind. Sometime in the 80's."

The Captain huffed. Cave was dead, huh? He would have liked to put a bullet into that guy's head. Cave Johnson was strange, and maybe even a genius, but he was crazy. To say the captain harbored a grudge was an understatement. "Alright. We're heading for the Relaxation Chambers. If there are people here who haven't been... Cy'ed, that's where we'll find them. We're going to need people, if we are going to fight GLaDOS."


	2. Tullulah Ridley

"Tully's Awakenings."

The door hummed as it quietly opened, drawing the receptionists attention upwards "Oh, hello? Welcome to Aperture Science. How can I help you?" The lights in the room illuminated the figure, the girl stood out there, as the rain lashed down "Hel... Help... Volun... Volun... Teer..."  
"Volunteer? Oh, for the testing program... Well, do you have any form of identification with you?" The girl shook her head, causing the receptionist to sigh "Well... Can you at least tell me your name?"  
"There was a pause, before the girl answered "Tull... Lullah."  
"Tullulah? And your second name?"  
"Rid... Ley..."  
"So, Tullulah Ridley?" The receptionist checked, head tilted slightly. Tully nodded, even as the receptionist bit her lip "Right... Now, I'm just going to need to take down a few other details..."  
It was a good while later when Tully was led to the relaxation chamber, her old sodden clothes replaced with a dry, aperture jumpsuit, bright orange standing out amongst the muted creams as the security man muttered angrily "Why do I have to do all the babysitting? Damn place is being run into the ground anyway, Don't get why I get this kinda job..." He stood aside, a door opening automatically "Welcome to the Aperture Science Enrichment program, we hope that you enjoy your stay and that both parties can benefit greatly, Yada Yada Yada... Look Kid, you go in, lie down, then we come get you when we need you. Night." The door closed, and Tully lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.

 _Good morning. You have been asleep for -875- days. As mandatory national laws state, you must perform several exercises to keep your mental and physical health in check. Please get out of your bed. Aperture science would like to apologize for this inconvenience to your suspended animation experience./p_  
 _*BWAAAAA-*_  
If it wasn't the announcer's voice that woke Tully up, it was most certaintly the buzzer that came soon afterwards. She got out of bed and yawned. How long had it been? Six-seven weeks? More? Less? She felt like she had woken up yesterday./p  
As usual, she stepped out of bed and yawned once more, stretching out her arms, waiting for the customary instructions. But those never came "Wha?" She asked thin air, before the voice came back Due to unforeseen circumstances with our predictive analyst bots, we here at aperture would like to offer you the chance to start your testing early! If you look down, you will see a yellow lit trail. Please follow this trail./p  
Tully glanced around the room, confused before following the trail out of the room, her hands going through her hair as she wondered if anyone else was awake. She didn't know, nor did she really suppose it mattered. Right now, she just wanted to do the tests and get out of the room she felt she'd been locked into. "Ah. Hello. You must be the latest test subject... Chell? No? Oh my, we've got a mistake here... oh no, I see you now. Tullulah Ridley. Hmm. You don't seem like much... Oh well. Proceed to the first chamber." A synthesized female voice spoke to Tully now, causing her to look around confused before she frowned and continued onwards, finding her way to a chamber containing little more than a button and a box. "Is it?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Yes, this is it. Honestly, some of you subjects can be incredibly moronic. Still, even you should be able to figure this out." The voice was back, and there was an air of sarcastic annoyance to it now, as Tully flushed red, placing the box on the button and walking through the door "Hmmph." She huffed, stepping into the waiting elevator and being whisked away to the next chamber. She stepped from the tube and frowned, seeing two glass partitions, the locked exit, a small button on a raised pillar, a bigger button like the last room behind one of the glass sheets and a box behind the other "Hmm..." She pressed the small button, seeing a blue... hole opening on the side of the box. Wait... Could she see... That was her! She span, seeing an orange hole as well, through which the box was visible. "Aah!" She smiled, starting to get what was happening "Prtal." She nodded to herself, walking through to get the box, before returning to press the button. Once done, she walked through and placed the box onto the large button, watching the door open.

"Well done. You have completed this test faster than one percent of the last 10,000 subjects. Yes, that's right. You beat 100 out of 10,000 subjects. You were slower than 9,990, but Don't let that get you down. I'm sure you'll beat at least some of them. The ones that died, especially. Unless you die as well." Tully's eyes widened, before taking a deep breath and walking onwards to the door and the Elevator waiting for her. What she hadn't expected was the Elevator to take her upwards at considerable speed. She squeezed her eyes closed as the Elevator suddenly stopped, when a man grabbed her "Hey, Hey... Chillout kid. I'm getting you out of the testing, alright?" His voice stated, even as he let go of her "Wh... Who..." She asked, her voice struggling more than normal with the fear of her situation "Look, we don't have time to explain. I'm Professor Doug Rattman, but most people call me Ratman. Follow me, unless you want to end up a pile of goop in a chamber somewhere." She blinked, before swallowing her fear and nodding "Where?" She asked, causing the man to raise an eyebrow "Simple. Back to the Chambers. There's been a mixup, somewhere. You weren't meant to come out, so I'm going to put you back under, where it's safe and let the subject who was meant to come out into the Testing chambers... Hopefully that Moron Wheatley hasn't fiddled with anything..." He was rambling as they went, eventually returning to her room "Here we go... Lets get you checked back in, and Chell checked out..." He muttered as the door closed behind her "Have a nice sleep. See you when It's safe!" He called jauntily, as Tully lay back down and closed her eyes.

Alarms. That's what Tully woke up to. Alarms and gunfire, muffled by the door, but all so loud in her ears. Faintly, she could hear the announcer's voice, saying she had been asleep for... 9999999999-Error Days. But she pushed that from her mind as the door slid open "Hey, Captain! Got a live-un over here! Non-Cy!" Tully blinked, not sure how to react as another man stepped over "Right. Simmons, you pick her up. We've not got time to see if she can still walk." He told the man who had opened the door "Got it sir. Looks like this was the only unopened room in this area." Simmons called, getting a nod from his superior "Let's pull out then. We've gotten a good number of people out already, so best bet now is to get clear and blow it." The man said, before a chunk of concrete fell towards them, clipping Tully's head and knocking her unconscious...

When she woke, it was in pleasant silence, with a woman, dressed in white bandaging her head "Ahh, good. You're awake." The woman smiled, gently applying a paste to the swelling before finishing the bandages and pulling away "Now, can you tell me your name?" Tully bit her lip "Uhm... Pap... Paper?" She asked, causing the nurse to frown "Paper? Your name... Oh! I see, you want some Paper? To write your name?" Tully nodded and the Nurse smiled "Well, I'll see if I can find you some. You stay just there." She left the room as Tully looked around, wondering where she was. It wasn't Aperture. She knew that just from the wall design, the lack of pristine white. She didn't have long to wonder about that however as the Nurse walked back in "Here we go. Paper and a Pen. Now, what was your name?" Tully smiled, writing 'Tullulah Ridley' on the sheet with a smile "So... Tullulah Ridley? Do you mind if I call you Tully?" She shook her head "No." She told the Nurse, before a Mans voice came from the door "Ah, good to see your awake. I know Simmons was worried over the knock you took. I'm Corbin. Corbin Craul. Nice to properly meet you, Tully." He smiled "How would you like to help me save the world?"


	3. Twilight Scott

Chapter 3: The Tale of Twilight Scott

It was her luck that saved her that fateful day. That, and a Wheatley Core.

Twilight Scott liked her name, it was cool. Twilight was cool then, and so was My Little Pony. And she liked both. She was only 5 when her father got a job at the coolest place around. Ape Science! It may have had a much bigger name, but the 5-year-old could only pronounce the first 3 letters.

Her father, Dr. Steven Scott, was one of the scientists, and was paid handsomely for his knowledge. He had a Doctorate in Robotics Engineering, a relatively new field that he was a natural at. This was after the GLaDOS program had been announced, and it was precisely what he was working on.

He was in charge of building the Personality Cores, round spheres that would allow his boss, Mr. Cave Johnson, to divert his attention and still leave things running. He had personally worked on the Adventure Core, and the Fact Core, and a few others he had forgotten, but he left a personal mark on each of them. A tiny SWS, hidden on the inside of their shell. He often was in talks with Mr. Johnson as the man wanted a different core each day it seemed! Dr. Scott thought his boss insane, greedy, and more despicable words that he dared not say in front of him. But the paychecks were rather large, and it'd be nearly impossible to get a job elsewhere. He needed money So, he kept working, day after day.

Twilight was 13 when 'Bring your Daughter to Work Day' was announced, and she was clearly excited. She had been taught all manner of electrical things by her daddy, the smart guy. She was obviously very smart when it came to robotics, and her intellect was untested, maybe greater than her father's.

"Daddy, what kind of science experiment should we do?" She asked, as they looked through a book called 'Junior Science Experiments; For ages 3-300!'

"Well, honey, you pick. It's your day, after all!" The soft voice of the lightly bearded man chuckled, letting her flip through pages expectantly. Scott smiled as he watched her excitement. He had been raising his daughter alone for nearly 10 years. 8 of them working here.

Twilight kept flipping through the book. "I think we should... do a potato battery!" She said, pointing a young finger at a picture of a potato with wires strung every which way.

She had such an excited smile on her sweet young face, Scott couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, honey. Potatoes... are a great choice!" He forced. Potatoes were in fact not a great choice; they were dull, starchy, and only made about 5 volts of electricity when boiled. But it was her project, so who was he to complain?

He must not have been hiding it very well, however, because Twilight's face instantly soured. "You're just saying that, aren't you? You think it's a dumb idea," she mumbled, looking back down to the book with a glum mood.

"No, no!" Scott backpedaled quickly, kneeling down in front of his daughter and casting a loving smile at her. She wasn't even looking at him. "No, potatoes are a great idea, sweetie! Just..." He showed how good he was with children, as his mind hunted for something to distract her with.

"LEMONS!" He shouted, plastering a big grin on his face. He was unsure of how his mind had come to the citrus, but he had an inkling it was a far-off memory of something Cave Johnson had ranted about... "A Lemon battery! Now that's a great idea! Nobody knows how much power lemons make, so you'd be contributing to science!" He was standing, his hands high up in the air, already celebrating her achievement.

To his relief, the frown was replaced with a weak smile. "*sniff* Like you, daddy? Like your contributions to science?" She asked, her voice wobbling as she calmed down.

Dad nodded vigorously, same big grin still on his face, even as his hands returned to his sides. "Yes, sweetie. Just like your daddy."

Twilight bounced out of the chair and into his arms, puling the scientist into a hug. "Thanks, daddy!" Scott chuckled as he returned the hug silently.

The day came, and many pictures were taken, of girls next to their fathers, and their experiments. Twilight won a prize; 'Most Creative'. Another flash, of her with the Prize, Experiment, and Scott. Although, Scott could not have been any prouder. Most of the pictures taken of Twilight that day were from his camera.

It was a perfect Day for Twilight. She got to show off her unique science project, impress her father's bosses, and she got to see some of the Cores her father had been working on! Her favorite was Wheatley, who was very kind to her, and really funny.

However, it took a darker turn when they were preparing to show off the GLaDOS startup procedure. With Twilight safely in the care of another worker's family, Scott and his co-workers went into the control room, visible from the viewing box via a tv screen. And they pressed a few buttons, flicked some switches, and watched as the GLaDOS mainframe chassis started up.

The TV was silent, an issue with the sound that had somewhat problematically appeared only hours before. But at least Twi couldn't hear the screams from her father and the other scientists as they gasped for breaths. A strange scent tickled her nose, and she heard the screams of the adults in the room with her.

Fearing for her life, Twilight ran out from the room, into the hall, her ears now attuning to some sort of nearly-silent hissing from the vents. She was nearly out of breath when she reached her father's office, where the Wheatley Core sat, waiting for the same person.

"Oh! Hullo, Twilight! Good to see you again, aye?" He winked, apparently not at all affected by the gas that was hurting her. She motioned, trying to get him to know that she can't breathe. "Ooh, Charades, I love that game! Okay, uhm, 3 words! Face, Mouth, Eye, I! Alright, 'I'. What's next?"

More motioning, from the quick-thinking girl. "Trash, Rubbish, Can. Can... Can!" Wheatley's eye widened as he realized what she meant. "'I Can', alright, last word!"

Twilight's final motion, trying to explain that she can't breathe, was probably futile. The core just wasn't smart enough to figure it out. Except he was. "Chest, Uhm... umumumum, heart. Lungs, breathe... 'I... Can't... Breathe...' OMIGOSH YOU CAN'T BREATHE!"

Twilight was sure her last moments were going to be playing charades with her father's invention. But she suddenly could breathe. The door was closed, and the vents were shut. No more gas.

"Whew," Wheatley sighed, although he didn't have lungs to sigh with. "That was close, huh? You okay, Twilight?" He asked, genuinely concerned for his friend.

Twilight nodded, gasping for breath. Once she had her rhythm back, and was breathing normally, she asked him, "My father! Dr. Scott, is he alright? Can you find him?"

Wheatley shook his head. "Sorry Luv, he hasn't come in here for a while. I'm only connected to his office here, nowhere else. But if you brave the neurotoxin out there, I'm sure we can reach a safe connection port I can use to plug into the system. And then I can find Dr. Scott."

With a breath, a core, and a prayer, Twilight stepped out into the corridor. Directed by Wheatley, she found a connection point, and plopped Wheatley on it. "Oh, well, that. . . Oh." He said, eye wide open as he saw what had happened. "Twi... We should get going."

She would have argued with him, but something in his tone was not to be trifled with. She picked him up, asking, "Where to?"

"Make a left. We're heading for somewhere safe," Wheatley said somberly. "Somewhere you'll be safe."

Twilight knew that left was in the direction of the test chambers, the direction she was told not to go by her father. Her hesitation in her mind showed as her feet slowed, looking down at Wheatley. She had a confused look on her face.

"Go!" Wheatley roared, quite unlike him. But it got Twilight moving, and she ran, faster than ever, for the Relaxation chambers.

It was a fair distance away, and while the gas was not as thick over here, Twilight had to take breaks to set Wheatley down. Until she noticed a rail and set him upon it, letting him float above like a miniature GLaDOS.

As Wheatley rolled along his rail, and Twilight walked beneath him in silence, she finally asked, "Wheatley, why? What happened? Why won't you tell me anything?"

Wheatley hesitated before answering, "GLaDOS. She flooded the facility with Neurotoxin, pretty deadly stuff. Everyone... is dead. You father, my other creators, all the families. Either dead or... Asleep."

The pause garnered the return of the silence, so thick you could cut it. "That's why I'm taking you this route. I'll keep watch over you, Twilight. You'll be safe, here."

They came upon a door, which slid open when Twilight approached it. It opened into a cheap 70's motel room, and Wheatley followed her inside. "Just... lie down on that bed. I'll wake you up when... When it's safe. Okay?" His voice was weak, hesitant.

Twilight nodded, tears in her eyes. "Wheatley... thank you." She said, as she crawled into the bed.

"Oh, you don't need to say that, Luv," Wheatley said, turning away. "It... Your father programmed me with these tendencies. I'm supposed to care for people like you, I can feel it."

Before she snuggled in for the long sleep, four more words were whispered from Twilght's mouth, although she was already unconscious. "I love you, daddy."

The door was already closed.

"-e door down! We've got to get inside!" Twilight woke to a loud banging, and someone shouting.

"I'm up, daddy, I'm up," She groaned, as a general confusion clouded her vision. This wasn't her room... That wasn't even her voice!

Outside the door, Captain Crush and a few other people were banging on the door with the butts of their guns. Crush tried to get them all in sync, but nobody was. A scream from inside suddenly changed that, and on the count of 3, the door was subjected to the largest synchronized bang it had ever withheld. But it didn't budge.

Someone pulled out a grenade. One of the EMPs the survivors had found lying around. With a sigh, the captain beckoned everyone away from the door. While the grenades worked wonders on the cyborgs, it didn't have much explosive potential. A slight zapping could be heard as the EMP was primed and thrown at the foot of the door. When that didn't move the door, Crush cracked his knuckles.

And promptly kicked the door. It flew open with a bang, hitting the wall. Revealing a 20-odd year-old woman, dressed in an Aperture Science jumpsuit, hiding behind the bed. "I'd come out, Ms. Scott." He tossed in a marker. "Mark up your clothes so we know you're one of us. Don't want anyone shooting a live person accidentally."

Twilight stepped out a few minutes later, dress painted over in camouflage patterns. "You're not Wheatley," she muttered, looking to the ceiling for something.

Crush snorted. "Wheatley? That moron? He's the one who guided us to you. Said he couldn't open up your chamber, but that you were still human." Crush looked over her, nodding. "Which you are."

He was pleasantly surprised when she slapped him. "Don't you dare call him a 'moron' again! He saved my life!" She yelled, putting her hands on her hips. "Now where is Wheatley?"

It wasn't what he said next, but rather his body language, that told her what had happened. "Wheatley is dead. He woke up a few other chambers, so you would have friends, then took the fight to GLaDOS." He waved his hand around to reference all the people standing behind him. "I found him freeing subjects, and he directed me to you. He expresses his regrets that he couldn't see you wake, but said that GLaDOS knew he was doing this, and he went to her chamber. To distract or destroy, I don't know. But he was certainly one tough Core. Brave, too."

Twilight couldn't hold the tears back. Wheatley was her last living memory of her father, and now he was gone too. "Oh, Wheatley..."

Crush put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'm not saying it's not right to cry, but this is not the time. We're trying to get you people out of here, escape the facility. Follow Wheatley's example, and take the fight to Her. Join us, Twilight Scott."


	4. Illiana Delso

Chapter 4. The Traumatic Experiences of Illiana Delso

Who would blame her for Crying? The girl who lost her family, yet kept her soul hard.

"Hush, Hush..." The Woman told her daughter, even she put the little girl into a closet "Remember, stay quiet in here, and then we'll come and get you, alright?" The little girl tilted her head "Momma? Wha's happening?" She asked, even as her father moved something out of her sight onto the doorway "Just stay quiet, Ana. And remember what we said. You stay in here, until someone comes to get you. James knows where you are, so does Alfie. If we don't... don't come back, you go with them." Ana watched her Father, her confusion obvious in her eyes "Daddy? What do you mean? Why wouldn't you come back?" There was a loud bang and the light shook "Just... Stay quiet for me... Stay safe..." The little girl was pushed back slightly, further into the closet as the door closed.

The worst part about the dark was the silence, the only outward sound Ana's breathing as she stayed as quiet as possible. The gunshots were sparse, but the screaming... The Silent dark left only the screams in Ana's head, the ones she knew deep down were her parents. She was trying not to cry, not to give herself away, but when the door opened and James was stood there she broke down, holding her arms out to him as he tried his best to comfort the little girl, but for her... Nothing would ever be the same again.

Ana spat the blood from her mouth as she stood up, facing the bully who had laughed at her, still goading her as he turned for his cronies applause. His mistake. She burst forward, her arm going around his neck, her foot finding his legs and then she lurched forwards, taking him to the ground quickly and smashing his head to the concrete. She stood slowly, the teachers running over to check the boy as she glared, none of the group meeting her eyes "Don't even think about mentioning it again..." She growled, her mouth turning into a snarl as she turned away, stopping when the teachers hand clamped onto her shoulder "And where do you think you are going, young lady?"

"You could've killed him!" The principal's voice was loud, strained as he stared at the girl before him "Illiana Delso, what do you have to say for yourself!?" She narrowed her eyes in return "He had it coming. Maybe HE SHOULDN'T HAVE BROUGHT UP MY PARENTS!" The principal paused at that "Ah... I see... Miss Delso, what do you think is going to happen now?" She shrugged "You'll send me home, back to the orphanage with a report, maybe exclude me for a day?" The principal shook his head "Unfortunately, we have exhausted that option, and it clearly doesn't work. No, you are to be sent to a psychiatrist, working with the Aperture Science Corporation. You will be required to enroll as a patient in their "Testing for the Cure" Program. Once you finish that course, they will help you with employment.

"Illiana Delso. I'm... I'm here for a Testing Program?" Ana stood infront of the lobby, glancing around the building "Illiana, Illiana Illiana... Ah! Found you. Yes, if you'd just follow Mr Craul, he will escort you to your room. Mr Trevors will be along soon for your first Session." Ana nodded, looking up and following the indicated security man along a series of catwalks to the room she had been issued "So... How long have you worked here?" She asked the man she was walking behind "About 3 years. Welcome to Aperture Science Kid." The guard grunted as the door opened to let her in "Good luck with whatever course you're on. You'll need it in here..." He walked away, leaving Ana staring at the closed door "What... What did you say?" She asked, before sighing and sitting down.

It was later in the day when there was a knock at the door, the man outside speaking with a pronounced, Austrian Accent "Miss Delso? May I enter?" He asked, before the door slid open anyway. She had been lying on the bed, but now sat up "You must be... Mr Trevors?" She asked, getting a nod in response "Indeed I am. Now, my files say you have a childhood trauma related to your parents? Would you like to talk about that?" She swallowed weakly, before shaking her head "No... No thank you..." She mumbled, getting a tut in response "Fine. Please, focus on this watch. Now then, let your mind lose focus and slip away" She nodded to him, before he asked again "Now, what happened to your parents?" She was swaying slightly, as she answered "They were killed in action, for the military. I was at the base at the time, because there was no one who could look after me. All I can remember really is the screaming..."

"I see. And we have reports of you attacking people multiple times? Was this brought on by the lack of parental control, do you think?"

"No... It was because they taunted me about my Parents death, so I got angry and attacked them."

"Mmm. So, it's something that certainly still troubles you, to this day?"

"Yes... It... It really is."

"Well... That does it for our first Session, I would think... Goodnight, Miss Delso." He snapped his fingers and watched as she slumped backwards onto the bed.

Ana stretched her arms as she looked around, wondering how long she had been out for this time. The regular voice wasn't there, now it was a voice asking her to follow an escort outside the door "Huh... Okay..." She opened it and saw a nightmare of flesh and steel "What the hell!?" She kicked the thing in the gut, slipping past it and finding her way deeper into the facility, looking for a hiding spot. There had to be one somewhere, right? She was panicking now, hearing gunfire and screams again, but she didn't know if it was in her head or real anymore. It was by pure luck she stumbled onto a nest of sorts, food and water stockpiled along with a blueprint for a grenade, and plenty of spare parts to build the thing "I... I'm okay... I'm okay..." She told herself, over and over again "The dark isn't real, my soul is light, the Dark isn't real my soul is light..." She told herself as she cobbled together grenade after grenade, placing as many as she could into the aperture jumpsuit and stacking the rest for whatever other blighted soul may stumble across them.

She'd continued like this for years, scavenging what she could from stores across the facility, taking parts from robots to build the grenades. It was only natural that GlaDOS took notice and decided this one needed to be dealt with. And so it was the plan came together, the lines being specially tooled to create two unique bots, built to resembled her parents to the most perfect point. Whether or not they'd pass close inspection was immaterial. If Ana was that close, she was already caught. As it was, she barely thought about the possibility of a trap, tears in her eyes as she went to hug her mother, before it all went Black...

The last thing Ana remembered was seeing her parents.

It was beautiful, seeing them again, after so many hellish years in Aperture. Too beautiful. A trap.

Ana's eyes opened, and she puked, all over herself. She was... strapped to a table? Her arm hurt, and she looked to it. Or, she wished she could. Her neck was restrained, only so she could look forward. Something rattled in the background, metallic, yet...

BOOOOOOM!

The Ceiling shook, debris raining down on her. Footsteps rang in the hallway, not far from where she was. She opened her mouth to scream for help, but it was raw, parched for thirst.

She must have made some noise, however, because the footsteps grew louder, as the doors wooshed open, shedding light into the previously darkened room.

The light hurt, and Ana realized why she had puked; her eyes were unfocused, causing nausea. She could just make out a figure, cloaked in shadow, looking into the room. "Hello?" He shouted, his voice gruff, hurried. She hadn't heard a real human voice in... forever! Her mouth opened again, trying to make a sound. The figure, not hearing anything, turned to leave.

She had to get his attention! She grunted dryly, moving her right arm.

A loud, hollow clank echoed throughout the chamber, and the figure stepped into the black room again. Wait. Clank?

The figure, quite big and obviously a well-built man, stepped over to her, turning on a flashlight as the door closed. "Huh..."

"Wha..?" Another voice, much more hesitant, and a female, like her. "Do?" It sounded like she had trouble speaking. She must have slipped in unnoticed to Ana.

"Nothing, kid. Just another one of Glados's fucked-up experiments. Some kinda cyborg." The man spoke to his ally, and the sounds of a gun being cocked were heard. Ana tried to scream again, this time out of fear. "Just gonna put it out of it's misery. Won't take long, we'll be back to the fight soon enough."

Ana closed her eyes, feeling the cold metal of a pistol pushed up against her temple. Tears slowly slid form her face, and she awaited her death.

But the gun never fired, death never came. Instead, the pistol was kicked out away from her skin, much to her and the male's surprise, due to his loud exclamation. "Kid! Whaddya do that for?! I let you in on our mission here because you offered to help, I will kill you just like this piece of shit!"

"Not... Cy..." Tully struggled to speak. "Ah... live. You... Me. Twah-Twi." Ana's eyes opened, seeing perfectly fine in the darkness, for some reason, even if it was green-hued. They were arguing, to her right if her hearing served her well. The male, likely in his late 20's, leaned over her, blinding her with his flashlight.

"Not...? Fuck, you're right. Just a sec." The gun was raised again, and fear shot through Ana's brain. But she wasn't the target this time. With a shot, and sparks flying everywhere, the restraints released her body from the metal table, and she fell to the floor. "Sorry 'bout that." the male apologized, holding a hand out for her to use.

She grabbed it, but barely registered the feel. Because it was muted. She never felt his hand, only saw the shiny metallic... HOLY SHIT, SHE WAS A CYBORG! She stumbled backwards, away from the arm that followed her, tripping and landing on her butt.

"Hey! Hey, calm down, you fuckwit! You're not going anywhere except with us, got that?" Crush said, picking her up almost effortlessly and standing her up. "Wow. Didn't expect to see an actual sentient Cy that wasn't under Glados's control. I'm Captain Craul, You are?"

Tully stood off to the side, obviously afraid somewhat. But to her nature, she didn't run or make any showings of it.

Ana opened her mouth to speak, still parched. "A.. Wah..."

Crush nodded, reaching into his backpack and producing a small bottle. "Untainted water, drink up. hopefully it doesn't short you out." Ana took it greedily, and drank until it was empty. Uh-oh, bad mistake. Her stomach rolled again as her eyes focused. "Hey, relax. We don't know how long you've been under."

"Under?" She asked, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "I'm Ana, by the way."

Crush nodded, whether to her answer or question, Ana didn't know. "Yeah. Getting that shiny new arm. Looks like a few other modifications as well. You're just lucky we arrived when we did, otherwise you might be like one of those mindless cyborgs Glados puts in our way."

Ana took another swig, feeling her stomach settle enough to drink more. "Oh, those. I know how to fight them, somewhat."

Crush raised an eyebrow, obviously interested. His mouth turned upwards in a tight smile. "Oh? Mind... showing me how?" He asked, putting a piece of metal in her cyborg arm. "Hope you know how to fire a gun...?"

Ana shook her head, but kept the gun all the same. It felt powerful, and that was something she needed right now. "Grenades. fizzed out their circuits, like a, uhm..."

"EMP?" Captain asked, reaching into his pack again. It held all manner of things, and this time he showed her a small, pineapple-shaped ball. A grenade.

"Yeah! I found a blueprint, that's what this is based off!" She said excitedly, grabbing it and examining it with her human hand. She would have been lax to admit it, but she had grown somewhat used to her unnatural arm in the few minutes she had been awake. Maybe those new subroutines? What even were subroutines?

Crush's smile grew, and he let her take the explosive. "Then you know how to make more. We've been finding them around the facility, and using them, but Twilight's been reverse engineering them, but it's obvious she's getting constrained. She could use the-"

The door didn't slide open silently this time. It exploded inwards, and the three humans crouched and protected themselves from the debris as light shone in the light room once again. Without hesitation, Ana pushed a few buttons on the MKO, tossing it in the middle of the invaders, protecting herself again as it exploded, then raising her inhuman arm and gun and firing six precise shots into the heads of a small swarm of cyborgs, surprising not only her but her two comrades as well. The way out was clear.

The Captain's smile grew to a grin, as he looked between Tully and Ana. "Ridley. Get this girl some camo, ASAP." The girl ran off, out the door. The officer turned back to Ana, extending a hand. "So... Ana, was it? How'd you like to help us destroy Glados?"


End file.
